This invention relates generally to occupant restraint modules and, more particularly, to the securement of a cover assembly of an occupant restraint module.
Known occupant restraint modules generally include a folded occupant restraint cushion and an inflator for inflating the cushion when an appropriate signal is received from a sensor or other device. The cushion and inflator are mounted to a support. A box-like cover houses the folded cushion and inflator and includes terminal flanges which underlie the edge portions of the support. A cover covers the container and includes flanges which overlie and abut the container flanges to the underside of the support. Various brackets and fasteners clamp the flanges of the container and cover to the support. In certain modules, the cover and container are integrated into a cover assembly secured to the support. This invention provides an integral securement of a cover assembly and a support of an occupant restraint module. The integral securement permits the support and cover assembly to be easily assembled to each other and to be disassembled from each other when required without the necessity for brackets, fasteners or non-integral components.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the edge portions of the support are formed into return bent flanges, the free or outer legs of which are provided with a series of spaced integral tabs or fingers which extend downwardly with respect to the support or toward the underside thereof. The folded cushion and inflator are mounted to the support, with the cushion being located within the inner legs of the return bent flanges. A cover assembly for the folded cushion and inflator is of generally box-like configuration and includes a lower or substrate member of semi-rigid material, such as plastic, which is appropriately perforated or scored in its upper or base wall and side walls so as to separate into pairs of flaps when the folded cushion is deployed as set forth in Cok et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,986 and co-pending application Ser. No. 529,799, Jones et al. filed May 29, 1990, both assigned to the assignee of this invention. The side walls of the substrate terminate in terminal flanges having laterally inwardly extending legs which are slotted to match and receive respective fingers of the support, and laterally downwardly extending legs. The outer surface of the substrate is covered with a layer of suitable foam material, such as urethane, for decorative and other purposes.
In order to assemble the module, the folded cushion and inflator are assembled to the support in a conventional manner. Thereafter this subassembly is inserted within the cover assembly and forced toward the base or upper wall of the substrate to compress the folded cushion thereagainst. The side walls of the substrate can be notched at the corners thereof to provide for ease of insertion by permitting such walls to flex outwardly during subassembly insertion. The folded cushion is compressed until the fingers of the support move past the slotted terminal flanges of the substrate. Thereafter, the side walls of the substrate self return to their normal unflexed position and the pressure on the support or subassembly is released so that the self expansion force of the compressed cushion moves the subassembly outwardly and moves the fingers of the support within the respective slots of the terminal flanges of the substrate. Thereafter, the fingers can be appropriately bent to prevent disassembly of the assembled module by forcing of the subassembly back into the substrate.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that the securement includes only the use of integral components of the cover assembly and support and does not require the use of any brackets or fasteners. This provides for ease of assembly and reduces the number of parts of the module.
The primary feature of this invention is that it provides an occupant restraint module which does not require any brackets or fasteners in order to assemble a subassembly and a cover assembly of the module to each other. Another feature is that the cover assembly and subassembly are secured to each other by only integral components thereof. A further feature is that one of the subassembly and cover assembly is provided with a series of integral fingers which are received within integral openings of the other of the subassembly and cover assembly and retained therein by the self expansion force of the cushion of the subassembly. Yet, another feature is that the subassembly includes a support having a series of fingers along the edges thereof which are received within slots of terminal flanges of the cover assembly, with the fingers being crimped after being received within the slots to prevent removal thereof.